Moving to PA from Australia (Pittsburgh: lease, month-to-month, refrigerator)

[gg]

Originally Posted by aussiekiwi99

Hi all
I am looking at accepting a job in PA in the Carmichaels area and moving over from Australia. As you can imagine, I know very little about the area, so would like some advice on where the best neighborhoods might be to live.

Looking at the map Carmichaels seems way out in the middle of nowhere. Im a single professional so was looking for something closer to the city or an area with decent nightlife and non-family social prospects, but still within reasonable commute time to my job. Any ideas?

Also when renting an apartment, is it easier to get one unfurnished, partly furnished or fully furnished? Whats the approximate difference in price? Reason being, none of my appliances (fridge, washer etc) will work on US power supply so have to get rid of them anyway and was wondering whether to just get rid of all my furniture and move over with minimal stuff.

Thanks heaps for the help!

Sorry about all the very poor answers so far, but the education level in this region is similar to AUS. Anyway, I suggest anywhere in the South Hills if you don't mind a bit of a drive.

[aussiekiwi99]

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll have a look at the areas mentioned online, but I guess I wont really know until I get there. I think the companys relocation policy allows for 30 days accommodation to familiarize before I have to find my own place - will that be enough to find, apply for and put money down on an apartment?

I used to work on rigs but part of why Im considering this job is it's office based which is what Im looking for right now. And where I live now is a small country town (< 1500 pop) but an hours drive from a major city, so really it sounds like not that much different.

[hempfield mania]

Aussie,
Uniontown (pop. 11,000+) looks to be the closest medium sized town. Your commute would be fairly short. <25min.

//www.city-data.com/city/Uniont...nsylvania.html

Only problem, it will push you farther from the PGH metro area and you won't want to make that drive every weekend for some nightlife. Never been out in Uniontown on a Friday or Saturday night so I can't comment.

Washington, PA, as stated, is bigger with more to do but your commute will be b/w 35-40min.

Waynesburg is a smaller town but bigger than where you are at now, pop. >4,000
//www.city-data.com/city/Waynes...nsylvania.html
and it is a small college town. Commute would be <20 min.

It is a little closer to Washington (25 mi.) and PGH (about 50 miles out) so weekend trips aren't out of the question.

Looks like Cameron and Halliburton are hiring in Carmichaels.

Good luck with the move.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by aussiekiwi99

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll have a look at the areas mentioned online, but I guess I wont really know until I get there. I think the companys relocation policy allows for 30 days accommodation to familiarize before I have to find my own place - will that be enough to find, apply for and put money down on an apartment?

I used to work on rigs but part of why Im considering this job is it's office based which is what Im looking for right now. And where I live now is a small country town (< 1500 pop) but an hours drive from a major city, so really it sounds like not that much different.

Should be long enough, yes, assuming reasonable working hours. You should be able to get a feel for what drives may be like and where you might want to live within that time.

And yeah, I suppose it isn't much different than what you've got right now. Long as that works for you, you should be fine with this one.

Opinions on where to live, either from us or from people you talk to once you get here, will be all over the place I'm sure.

Good luck with it.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by jay5835

I have yet to meet anyone local who's gotten a shale job. More specific to your concerns, I haven't met, or even heard of, any foreigners being hired -- you're the first!. It's people from Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. But I don't pay very much attention to it, really.
Ask the shalies to cosign for you. They probably will if they want you badly enough.

I know quite a few local people who have gotten into the O&G business within the past few years.

And the OP isn't the first foreinger. We had a Canadian relocating his family to the Canonsburg area just a few months ago.

I don't think the OP will have any problems with local resentment. We like aussies! They're cool!

[Mr. Mon]

Since the OP lives in a tiny town, Greene County won't be too much of a stretch. From personal experience I'd suggest OP base himself in Waynesburg for the first 30 days and explore the area. It's easy access to the interstate, the closest to Charmichaels and a fairly pleasant little town in its own right.

[Hopes]

Does the OP have a family? Children?

[greg42]

He says he's a single professional right in the first post.

[Burghgirl17]

Originally Posted by jay5835

One of the main selling points of this drilling for gas business is "Look at all the jobs we're creating in Western PA." I have yet to meet anyone local who's gotten a shale job.

Not sure about those working hands on in the biz, but there's a trickle down effect for other local industries. I know someone who owns a security firm who is doing work at the drilling sites and their business is booming (with local hires). Oil and gas work in the legal industry is booming. There are also small local oil and gas companies who are leasing wells, etc. to the bigger companies that are benefiting. It may not be as direct an effect as saying 1,000 local jobs were created on drilling sites, but it is there, and it is having a very real effect on the Western Pennsylvania economy.

[ditchdigger]

Just something to think about with reference to the drive--It might take you a while longer, avoiding all the oncoming traffic. You do know we Seppos drive on the wrong side of the road.